Going to Vegas Strip to shoot in Black and White (monochrome), need tips please

[ilzho]

Hello:

I am heading to Vegas for work for a few days (yes, I know, terrible right?, haha)

Even though I have been to Vegas before this will be my first time with my camera equipment as I have only been taking pictures for a year.

Someone suggested that at night I take black and white photos.

I have never done this and am seeking some tips.

I will have my 7d mark II and 2 lenses.

I always shoot in RAW, day or night, doesn't matter, I have lightroom to adjust things later.

I noticed on my camera I have under picture style monochrome. I have never used this before.

So should I use this feature for black and white photography or just continue to shoot in standard picture mode and RAW and then convert the color picture to Black and white later in lightroom?

I have seen Vegas strip pictures of casinos and fountains in blk and white at night and they look fantastic.

I will also take any advice as to where to go to take pictures on the strip.

I plan to go to the Eiffel tower before sunset to try to capture some nice pictures, but again never have been up there.

I am a morning person so I will be up before sunrise and wander around as well.

I will take pictures of the venetian interior (not casino area) and some others as they have some cool interiors.

So any advice or tips is always appreciated.

Thank you,

David

[ebiggs1]

Lightroom is poor extensibility for plugins like Nik's. It is not integrated into regular Lightroom tool panels. However, in Photoshop the plugin can be applied to a layer. Lightroom sliders work on top of raw images. Plugins require it to create a TIFF. It is generally better to use the plugin from Photoshop where you can apply it to a layer.  Silver Efexis a very nice addition to either just keep in mind how it works.

[TCampbell]

I just read that Google stopped development on the Nik tools and they're considered "dead" (but they are free and you can still get them).  The belief according to the articles I've encountered, is that Google really wanted Nik's mobile photo developer app called SnapSeed.

It's a great tool, and my favorite for dealing with B&W conversions.  You can still get it.  It's free.  But it's also dead... there are no developers working on it and it gets no updates (and likely never will).

[ebiggs1]

I have heard Nik may go open source.  Probably not but............

[ebiggs1]

One additional point.  None of the thousands of plug-ins offered for LR or PS do anything that can't be done in the stand alone LR and PS.  Nothing!  They just make some and tedious tasks easier.

[pris796]

David,

Here are a couple of pictures for you and they both look great in black and white, enjoy your trip.

pris796

[ebiggs1]

Cool  

[John_SD]

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@ilzho wrote:

Hello:

I will also take any advice as to where to go to take pictures on the strip.

So any advice or tips is always appreciated.

Thank you,

David

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Forget the Strip. Hit the Pinball Hall of Fame, Red Rock Canyon (look for the wild burros), Valley of Fire, the Greyhoud Bus Station at night, and Alphabet City in the daytime. Any real Vegas cab driver will know where to take you. 

[ilzho]

Here's a pano I took this morning. 

Here's a good illustration on when doing pano's to make sure your camera is not in auto white balance. I shot it in M, but I left my WB to AUTO, hence the difference in the sky colors. I've tried brushes, gradient filters, can't get it right, haha....

Tomorrow morning, I'll do better.

[pris796]

David,

Very nice shot. Go in some of the Hotels, I think you will like the Bellagio and it is another Hotel right next to it. Also right across the street is a indoor mall that has skies. Again any of the Hotels you can find great pictures to take. This is at the Bellagio. The night picture is some of the Hotels you can go in but they all are nice on the strip.

pris796

[ebiggs1]

"I shot it in M, but I left my WB to AUTO, hence the difference in the sky colors."

Shoot raw and do your corrections on each shot before you make your pano.  You are going to chase your tail to try it after the pano is made.  Not impossible but not easy.